Zuppa Toscana Copycat of Olive Garden (VIDEO)

My son ordered this soup to try while at Olive Garden. We all fell in love with it, so I thought I would try to copy it. It was very good.
Ingredients:
1 lb hot or mild Italian sausage
3-4 medium to large potatoes with the skin on
1 small onion
3-4 strips of bacon
3-4 cloves of garlic
3 cups kale
32 ozs. chicken broth
2 cups water
1 1/4 cups half and half

Remove casings and brown the sausage. When the sausage is almost done, add your chopped onion and garlic and cook a few minutes. (Also brown your bacon and set aside) Add your sausage, onion and garlic to a large pot and add the chicken broth and water along with the potatoes. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or till the potatoes are tender. Then add your chopped kale along with your half and half and let simmer for around 15-20 minutes, or till the kale is tender. Serve with your bacon on top. If you use mild sausage, add a few pepper flakes.